National Green Tribunal takes action against luxury hotel projects near Assam's Kaziranga National Park

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has initiated a suo motu case concerning the construction of luxury hotels in and around Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam. The New Delhi-based Principal Bench of the NGT registered the case under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, following media reports on the matter.

This action comes shortly after the Assam government signed an agreement with the Tata Group to develop a five-star hotel in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amalgamated Plantations Pvt Ltd (APPL) and Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), both subsidiaries of Tata Group, to build the luxury property at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore. As part of the agreement, a resort and spa will be established near the core area of the national park.

Kaziranga National Park is a critical wildlife sanctuary, home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as tigers, elephants, panthers, bears, and thousands of bird species. The park is one of the few areas in eastern India that remains largely undisturbed by human activity.

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In addition to the Tata Group project, the international hotel chain Hyatt is also developing a five-star hotel near the KNP. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced last September that the ATDC would soon finalize an agreement with the Hyatt Group to develop a five-star resort at an investment of Rs 100 crore, offering 100-120 rooms adjacent to the national park.

However, the construction projects have sparked controversy. The Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee recently accused the authorities of illegally converting a large portion of land near the park to hand it over to multinational hospitality groups for hotel construction, without adhering to required norms. The committee claimed that no public hearings were conducted with the 45 affected families, and that neither an Environmental Impact Assessment nor a Social Impact Assessment was carried out.

The NGT's intervention marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over balancing conservation efforts with tourism and development in the sensitive Kaziranga region.